Solid practices created ‘buy-in’ for Georgia basketball in victory over LSU

On Thursday night — two days before the game — White sat in front of reporters and marveled at Georgia’s recent practices. He deemed them the best of the Bulldogs’ season, highlighting their competitive spirit and intensity.

Both qualities were needed against LSU when Georgia found itself trailing by 15 points, 10 minutes into the matchup.

“I thought we were close defensively,” White said. “And then we settled in defensively and probably played as good a 30 minutes, collectively, defensively as we’ve played all year. That’s what it takes to win on the road in this league.”

The Bulldogs only made two of their first eight field goal attempts but finished the first half 13-of-20. LSU, on the other hand, began the game 11-of-18 from the field but ended the frame 3-of-14.

Georgia finished the first half on an 11-0 run, erasing its early deficit that White chalked up to execution.

“I would tell you that if LSU had played midweek,” White said when asked if the bye week contributed to Georgia’s slow start. “But I think we both were probably excited to play someone else, and they handled it better early.”

The Bulldogs carried their momentum into the second half, keeping their lead to at least four points during the entire frame. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Georgia had turned a 15-point deficit into a 12-point victory.

“This was our best week of practice,” White said. “And I think this, arguably, (was) our best win.”

Georgia did not face another team in the week leading up to the game, giving it time to focus on itself. One area the Bulldogs emphasized was rebounding, where opponents frequently outmatched them.

Georgia lost the battle of the boards in all of the defeats making up its three-game losing streak, getting out-rebounded 130-91 against Texas, Tennessee and Texas A&M combined. The Bulldogs did not make “crazy, drastic changes,” according to junior guard Jordan Ross, but paired a mindset switch with the technical adjustment of hitting and boxing out to improve the deficiency.

“It’s really just a buy-in thing,” Ross said before the game. “It’s really just holding people accountable to doing it.”

The improvement showed against LSU, as Georgia out-rebounded the Tigers, 36-34. The Bulldogs grabbed 16 offensive and 20 defensive boards.

“Did a good job just flying in there,” White said. “The buy-in to stick your nose in there with five guys in the fight.”

Georgia’s effort has been a frequent point of criticism for White after previous losses, as the team struggled to keep its intensity for all 40 minutes. That did not appear to be the case against LSU, as the Bulldogs kept the edge after pulling out of their deficit.

They fought for rebounds and improved their shot selection, shooting 40% on 3-pointers, which marked their second-highest success rate in conference play this season.

And it all began with a solid week of practices.